The Cross Across the Lake

There sits a cross across a lake in Gordon, Georgia. If you’ve never heard of Gordon (Gordonville as it is affectionately known as) you are probably not alone. I believe what makes Gordon unique is that for fifty years people have flocked to Gordon seeking a better way, searching for new life. More often than not, they have found it. It’s place people go to find what they don’t even know what they truly need.

Camp Christian is the regional campground for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Georgia. Facility wise, it’s not much. Spirituality wise, it’s everything one could hope for and more. I am preparing to direct CYF Conference for my final time next week. It may very well be the final time at camp for me, at least for a while. I once totaled up the time I have spent there as a camper, counselor, keynoter, and director and it’s pretty close to a year of my life. Time only tells a fraction of the story.

This year, a number of the campers will walk into Lavery Hall for the first time while some will walk in as a camper for the final time. Most will leave as changed people who have a better sense of the depth of God’s love for them and who God is calling us to be. I’ve often thought about what makes church camp so unique. I served on our Regional Minister Search Committee not too long ago and when asked to identify what the region of Georgia is, the number one response was Camp Christian. It’s the best of what we do as church together.

It’s the best of what we do as church together. Camp is a glimpse of what it is like to live in the real world, the world we call God’s kingdom. I think what makes it unique is that for a short period of time, one glimpses what its like to live fully in God’s kingdom. We gain a sense of God’s love for us and sense of how God calls us to love others.

There is a cross across the lake. One that is a bit weathered in appearance but no less powerful. Oh, the stories it could tell. The best story it tells is the story of Good News. The news of God’s love for each and every person and the challenge of how God calls us to love others.

I am looking forward to going to Camp Gordonville one more time- but I will always carry with me the glimpse of what life together can be like.

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Published by Danny Gulden

Rev. Danny Gulden has served Disciples of Christ congregations in Georgia and Indiana and currently serves the wider Disciples Church working with clergy and lay employees. He and his wife Mary Michael have two daughters and live in the Indianapolis area. He is passionate about preaching, clergy health, and transformative communities. He loves the Georgia Bulldogs and is a champion amateur leg wrestler.
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